Upper cut



F. B. FOLEY.

UPPER CUT APPLE SLICING MACHINE.

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WITNESSES Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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APPLICATION mu) APR. 3. um.

F. B FOLEY UPPER CUT APPLE sucmc MACHINE.

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FRANK BERNARD FOLEY, (ll? INGERSOLL, ONTARIO, CANADA.

UPPER-our APPLE-SLICING MAcHrNE.

mes es.

Application filed April 3, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK BERNARD FOLEY, of the town of Ingersoll, in the county of Oxford, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Upper-GutApple-Slicing Machines, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements. in upper cut apple slicing machines and the object of the invention is to devise a machine having an increased capacity, by which a higher percentage of the best grade'appleslices are produced, by which such slices C and 0.

will be free from discoloration, in which the space between the drum head and sweep rings is obviated and in which any chip ping or breaking of the apple slices is obviated, and it consists essentially of a main frame, a feed hopper carried thereby, a table having a discharge orifice therein and a depressed portion leading to such discharge orifice, a rotary member carried in the center of the table and fitting a central orifice therein, a series of sweep rings carried by the rotary member, sweep arms carried by the sweep rings and arranged in a rearwardly inclined direction in relation to the direction of rotation of the rotary member and forming with the surface of the table an angular apple receiving pocket into which the apples are fed and a series of slicing knives secured to the table and em tending transversely of the sweep rings, such knives being arranged in V-form and against which the apples are carried, the apex of the V extending in the direction of rotation as hereinafter more particularly explained by the following specification.

Figure 1, is a general-perspective view of my device. Fig. '2, is a vertical section through Fig. 1. F ig. 3, is an enlarged de tail elevation of the slicing knives and a portion of the sweep rings and showing the position of the-apple. discharge orifice in dotted lines. Fig. 4c,-is' a cross sectional view through Fig. 3. Fig.6, is a perspective detail of a portion of the rotary member and-sweep rings showing the means for connecting the sweep rings to the rotary member. Fig. 6, is a detail 'of'a clutch for throwing the machine in and out of gear with the main drive.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

the table G.

Patented Augdl', 1916.

Serial No. 829,266.

A is the main frame provided with an upper and lower cross member A and A B and B are shafts journaled in suitable bearing brackets carried by the cross members A and-A 5 .B? and, B? are drums mounted upon the shafts B. and B.

B is-a belt mounted upon the drums B and B C isatable provided-with a discharge orifice C (see dotted lines in Fig. 3).

C? and C are standards mounted upon C is a shaft journaled'in the standards C is a pulley mounted upon the shaft G the hub C of which is provided with a ratchet cam face G C is a collar secured to the shaft 0 and provided with an opposing ratchet face designed to engage with the ratchet face C of the hub C The collar and hub G are provided with opposing recesses in which is located a suitable compression spring 23. The standard C is also provided with a ratchet portion C (3 is a clutch lever provided with a corresponding ratchet portion G fitting the ratchet portion C The opposite face of the clutch lever bears against the hub C of the pulley C By throwing the clutch arm C downwardly the ratchet portions C and C c0-act in cam fashion against the compression of the spring 23 to force the pulley C longitudinally on the shaft C whereby the clutch portion C of the hub C is carried into engagement with the ratchet portion of the collar C thereby. forming a driving connection between the pulley and the shaft. C is'a beveled gear secured. to the opposite end of the shaft C (P is' a counter shaft mounted 'on suita bevel gear C engaging with the bevel gear G C is a sprocket wheel mounted upon the opposite end of the shaft C C is a sprocket wheel mounted upon the shaft B.

C is a sprocket chain for transmitting mo tion from sprocket wheel 0 to thesprocket wheel C By this means'the belt' B is driven from the main driving pulley C E is the main hopper for containing the apples and from which the apples are lifted individually by buckets D to deposit them inthe apple slicing mechanism.

F is a vertical shaft supported in step bearings F and the bearing F carried by the supporting frame of the table C. The upper end of the shaft F extends centrally through the central orifice in the top of the table C.

G is a rotary member carried by the shaft F and provided with an annular gear G.

C is a gear wheel carried by the shaft C so as to mesh with the gear Gr. By this means the rotary member G is driven from the driving pulley C The periphery of the rotary member G is provided with a series of notches G set in an inclined direction as shown particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

2, 3, 4:, 5, 6 and 7 (see Figs. 8 and 4. are a series of annular sweep members each comprising the inner ring member 7, outer ring member 8 and cross connecting semi-circular arms 9. Each inner ring 7 (see Fig. 5) is provided with a series of inwardly extending lugs 10 through which the bolt 11 extends to connect the sweep members together. Each lug is increased in thickness to properly space the rings apart.

H is a slicing knife supporting bracket secured by bolts H and H to the upper face of the table C in proximity to the sweep members 2, 3, l, 5, 6 and 7. The bracket member H is substantially in the shape of a horizontal set V having stepped side arms.

I and I are two sets of slicing knives, the set I being secured to the horizontal face of the stepped portion of the lower V-arm, the lowermost knife being near the level of the table surface. The upper set I is secured to the horizontal portion of the stepped portion of the other arm of the V bracket. The knives I extend transversely of the sweep members and intermediately between each pair of sweep rings, the opposite ends of such knives resting upon the upper face of each sweep ring as shown particularly in Fig. 4:, there being as many sweep rings as there are knives T. The knives I extend transversely of the discharge orifice C.

J is a supplemental knife supporting bracket which extends transversely of the sweep rings. The inner end of the bracket J is provided with the depending slotted member J, the slots J 2 of which are arranged horizontally in stepped relation one to the other so as to receive the opposite ends of the knives I to support their free ends in place.

K is a supplemental arm bracket extending across the sweep rings to keep the upper ring clear of any slices which might be carried around thereby.

M is an inclined chute supported on vertically set boards M extending from the table C. The upper end of the inclined chute is in close proximity to the revolving belt 13 and into said chute the apples are delivered from the buckets carried by the belt 13*.

Having described the principal parts involved in my invention I will briefly describe the operation of the same.

The uncut apples are contained in the hopper E. In order to throw the machine into operation the clutch arm G is drawn downwardly carrying the hub portion G into engagement with the collar C against the spring 23. By this means a driving connection is formed between the pulley C and shaft (1*. The belt 13* is driven from the shaft C through the gears C and C sprocket chain C and sprocket gears G and C which drive the shaft B and pulley B As the belt B revolves the bucket 1) travels in the direction of the arrow and the apple is carried vertically upward resting in the bucket and bearing against the face of the vertical board M which holds the apple within the bucket. As the apple is carried upward above the upper edge of the inclined chute M the apple is delivered thereinto. The apple then rolls down the chute and is guided into position between the inner and outer ring portions 7 and 8 of the sweep members and is caught by the sweep arms 9. Such sweep arms as heretofore described are arranged in an inclined direction so that the apple is pocketed and held down against the table. The sweep arms as they travel forwardly carry the apple into engagement with the slicing knives which slice the apple, each slice being separately cut and falling away successively through the discharge opening until the last knife I is reached. The table C is provided with a depressed portion C extending from it the' discharge orifice and in front of the foremost knife I. This depression enables the foremost knife to cut a slice off from the bottom of the apple. Each knife I it will be seen, has a beveled lower face and a flat horizontal upper face. This form of blade when the sweep arms pass over the same in contact with the upper face thereof provides for a clean shearing out which will not chip off or break the apple slice. By

the means of the depression C also it is assured that the top edge of the sweep arm pocket will bear against the apple above the center line of the crown of the apple.

would tend to roll the apple ofi the flattened end and up at an angle with the knives which would not then cut at right angles to the center of the core of the apple and would therefore not produce a perfect slice.

By the means described above the apple It will be understood that an apple when pared is carried to a lower level as it approaches the cutting knives and therefore insures that the top edges of the pockets bear against the apple above the center thereof in a greater percentage of apples thus raising the grade of the sliced apples produced. Also by cutting the slices successively and separately delivering them through the discharge orifice the surface of each slice is exposed for a brief period to the air. This is essential to prevent the discoloration of the fruit, for it is a well known fact that the apples are bleached with brimstone fumes before the slicing is done. When the apple is sliced after this bleaching process it is necessary for the air to strike the cut surface before the process of evaporation takes place in order to prevent circles of discoloration in the center of the pieces. It is therefore necessary to part the slices as above described so that the action of the air will prevent this discoloration. It will be also readily understood that a small-percentage of the apple may be too large to be sliced by the knives I. In order to slice the upper portion of the apples without the necessity of supplying more sweep arms which would only occasionally come into use and would increase the cost of manufacture considerably I have provided the knives I extending in an opposite angular direction and having upper beveled faces. If the apple is too large to be cut by the knives I the upper portion of the apple is carried into contact with the knives I. As the apple travels toward the apex of the V knife supporting bracket the slices cut lie on top of the knives I exposed to the air until another large apple presents itself to be cut when the prior cut slices are then pushed forward off and over the edge of the lowermost knife through the discharge opening. Furthermore when the slices are cut by the knives I the lower beveled face thereof turns the slice down as it is being cut thereby insuring its falling away as soon as it is out free. The upper knives I being beveled upward cause the slices to be cut clean and in this Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the case the sweep arms pass beneath this cut portion and the beveled knives cause the slices to turn upward as they are being cut preventing clogging on the knives directly back of them.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an upper cut apple slicing machine, the combination with the table, of a circular rotary sweep arm supporting member supported above the table and having grooves extending across the periphery thereof, and a series of sweep arm rings supported by the table and superimposed one upon the other and having inwardly extending radial lugs fitting into the cross grooves of the rotary member.

2. In an upper cut apple slicing machine, the combination with the table, of a circular rotary sweep arm supporting member supported above the table and having grooves extending across the periphery thereof, a series of sweep arm rings having inwardly extending radial lugs fitting into the grooves, and a bolt extending through the lugs to connect the rings together.

3. In an upper cut apple slicing machine, the combination with the table, a rotary member carried thereby and the sweep arms car ried by the rotary member, of a substantially V-shaped horizontally set bracket having stepped arms, slicing knives secured at, their outer ends upon the steps of the lower arm and supported at their free end by extending between the sweep arms, slicing knives secured at their outer ends upon the steps of the upper arm and extending over the sweep arms above the level thereof, a bracket supported by the table outside of the sweep arms and extending over the sweep arms, and a slotted member carried by the inner end of the bracket into the slots of which the inner free ends of the upper knives extend.

FRANK BERNARD FOLEY.

Witnesses:

JosnrH PATERSON, MARY Hown.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

